Court grants police three more days to question Dwip over Tahsif’s death

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A Dhaka court has authorised police to question Ahmed Shahriar Reza Dwip for another three days in connection with the murder case over former air force officer Tahsif Souri’s death.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasan Shahadat issued the order on Tuesday after hearing a remand petition, prosecution representative Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam said.

Inspector Firoz Uddin, investigating officer of the Tongi River Police Outpost in Gazipur, had requested seven additional days of remand, citing eight grounds. State prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon supported the request, while Dwip’s lawyer, Mutasim Billah, opposed it and asked the court to reject the petition.

After hearing both sides, the court approved three days of further questioning.

In the petition, the investigating officer described the case as a highly sensitive murder investigation. It stated that Tahsif had reportedly been seen with Dwip and another suspect, Jerika Tasnim Disha, at different restaurants before his death.

The petition further claimed that available information suggested Tahsif was last seen with the two suspects before he died. Police argued that further questioning was needed to clarify the circumstances of his death, identify other people who might have been involved and ensure a thorough investigation.

Eight grounds for further questioning

The investigating officer cited the following reasons for seeking additional remand:

• To examine and analyse CCTV footage collected from different locations in Dwip’s presence.

• To establish where Dwip went and whom he contacted during the 15–20 minutes after briefly leaving Tahsif at Nest Bar and Restaurant.

• To obtain and analyse call detail records of mobile phones used by Tahsif, Dwip and others.

• To investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.

• To identify and arrest other suspects who have not yet been named.

• To recover relevant evidence.

• To establish the possible motive behind the killing.

• To determine where the murder took place.

Tahsif, who came into the spotlight over claims that he had recorded a video of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina leaving the country, was found dead in the Turag River near Rajabari Ghat on the afternoon of October 28. River police recovered his floating body.

The previous evening, October 27, Tahsif left home on his motorcycle after Dwip called him and asked him to come downstairs.

Dwip said on October 29 that he had dinner with Tahsif at a restaurant before they separated in the Uttara House Building area.

Dwip was handed over to the river police on the night of October 30, after no case had been filed in the three days following the recovery of Tahsif’s body.

Later that night, Tahsif’s father filed a murder case, and Dwip was shown arrested. A court subsequently granted police four days to question him in custody.